the rational part of my brain knows you're right about this but the rest of my brain shuts down when I consider actually editing that album
As y’all know I am a huge fan of how re-sequencing improves the Red thru Lover run. Folklore was the first album of hers since Fearless that I didn’t think had terrible sequencing.
Lover and Reputation are the only ones that I think would really benefit from losing more than a song or two. Lover especially is a good album that could have been great with a little more focus. Versus Red where I think the scattershot nature of it is part of the point.
I will say I actually did quite come around on Red’s overall “messiness” after you made this very excellent point before.
Couldn't agree more. Idk if she meant it that way (I'm guessing not, knowing her) but mess has always been part of what makes that album special.
It's ultimately become my favorite thing about that album, though I viewed it as more of a liability at first. It's one of those records I can listen to no matter what mood I'm in, and the mess of it just fascinated me and kept me coming back to it. It wasn't my favorite album of 2012 in the moment, but it was my favorite album of the decade when all was said and done, and I think that was because of how full of life it felt. If she didn't intend it, she sure captured the exact kaleidoscope of emotions and moods that she wrote about in the liner notes of the album.
I don't even know what my first cut off Red would be if I had to start slicing songs. I always felt like "Stay Stay Stay" was the least essential, but I came to really love that song. A lot of people don't care for "Sad, Beautiful, Tragic," but that song is just so crucial to the themes of that record for me. Same with "The Last Time." As standalones, these probably aren't songs I'd latch onto right away, but that's the beauty of a great album experience.
The Last Time is the obvious first cut, maybe my least favorite Taylor song, Gary whatever is terrible. Sorry but Treacherous is pretty bad, especially that early in the album. I Almost Do... bye bye.
Sad Beautiful Tragic, The Last Time and The Lucky One are the easiest cuts. Not the biggest fan of I Knew You Were Trouble or Everything Has Changed either. The rest of the album ranges from really good to her best material.
Treacherous and I Almost Do are in my top 10 Taylor songs... well before folklore and evermore. I haven’t brought myself to try and recalibrate yet
From Red I would cut... Stay, Stay, Stay Starlight Everything Has Changed The Lucky One and then maybe WANEGBT and Red if it had to be 10
Just atrocious takes across the board here! Cut "Treacherous" or "Red"? What the fuck is wrong with you people?! @irthesteve coming in like the personification of this heinously bad New York Times take from the other day:
Me is perfectly fine, but I do think it would’ve worked better just as a stand-alone single by Taylor and Brendon like I Don’t Wanna Live Forever Cutting Red or Treacherous is insanity
"Red" is also the thematic key to that record. Cutting it is like cutting "Born to Run" from Born to Run; you might as well bin the whole album.